I can now officially announce I’ve signed a 2-book deal with Audible for the series I signed with 47North — tentatively titled A Dark Background!

Audible and I have developed a fantastic partnership which has worked out extremely well for both of us, so I’m very happy to sign another deal with them.

In Publishers Marketplace language:

Mitchell Hogan’s A DARK BACKGROUND books I and II, an epic fantasy series about a demon summoned by a desperate sorcerer and bound to serve against his will, to Audible (audio rights), in a two book deal, in a good deal, for publication in 2018, 2019.

If you read my earlier post on why I’m self-publishing Revenant Winds, then you’ll know that retaining audio rights is an important business aspect for me. Which is why this separate 47North and Audible deal is such a great outcome.

As the publication process of the series progresses I’ll have more announcements. So keep an eye out for more information!

A Dark Background overview:

A forsaken battleground buried by time.

A deadly secret warded by sorcery.

When Tarrik Nal-Valim, demon of the thirty-seventh order, is summoned by a desperate sorcerer known as Serenity, he is bound to serve against his will.

Serenity compels Tarrik to protect her from colleagues hellbent on her destruction, and it seems they have good reason, for Serenity is sworn to bring back a great evil, and all the battles the world has ever known will pale into insignificance when the Adversary is freed from his prison.

But Serenity is not quite what she seems—sorcerers never are—and before long, both demon and master are caught up in a terrifying flood of murder, intrigue, and insurrection. Tarrik is running out of time, as every step they take brings the world closer to the brink. For if Tarrik continues to do as Serenity asks, untold misery and darkness will be unleashed; but if he refuses, it will be at the cost of his eternal essence—a true death for one of his kind.

Only one contract has been signed with blood so I can only provide details about that deal. The series will be released through 47North (print and ebook), and an audiobook producer (audio), and I’m excited about this series! The first book is tentatively titled A Dark Background.

In Publishers Marketplace language:

Mitchell Hogan’s A DARK BACKGROUND books I and II, an epic fantasy series about a demon summoned by a desperate sorcerer and bound to serve against his will, to Adrienne Procaccini at 47North (ebook and print rights), in a two book deal, in a very nice deal, for publication in 2018, 2019.

How this all came about:

After I delivered the recordable file of Revenant Winds to Audible, I decided to work on a sword & sorcery novel during the three month wait until Revenant Winds would be released. But I’d also had an idea for an epic fantasy novel which I was getting more and more excited about (A Dark Background). In order to clear up the details in my mind I put together a blurb and a synopsis. One thing led to another, and I ended up in contact with the editor at 47North who expressed an interest in the novel. After reading a sample she (and the rest of the 47North team) loved it, and they made an offer for a two-book series. I also approached an audio publisher, who made a significant offer for the audio rights.

If you read my earlier post on why I’m self-publishing Revenant Winds, then you’ll know that retaining audio rights is an important business aspect for me. Which is why this separate 47North and audio deal is such a great outcome.

47North are aiming for a Fall 2018 (Oct.-Dec.) release of the first book, and the second book six months later.

I’ll have more posts about this deal and the series in the future, but for the moment this is all I wanted announce today.

A Dark Background overview:

A forsaken battleground buried by time.

A deadly secret warded by sorcery.

When Tarrik Nal-Valim, demon of the thirty-seventh order, is summoned by a desperate sorcerer known as Serenity, he is bound to serve against his will.

Serenity compels Tarrik to protect her from colleagues hellbent on her destruction, and it seems they have good reason, for Serenity is sworn to bring back a great evil, and all the battles the world has ever known will pale into insignificance when the Adversary is freed from his prison.

But Serenity is not quite what she seems—sorcerers never are—and before long, both demon and master are caught up in a terrifying flood of murder, intrigue, and insurrection. Tarrik is running out of time, as every step they take brings the world closer to the brink. For if Tarrik continues to do as Serenity asks, untold misery and darkness will be unleashed; but if he refuses, it will be at the cost of his eternal essence—a true death for one of his kind.

Hey there everyone, it is finally out! This is my fifth novel and the first in a new series: The Tainted Cabal. It’s set in a completely different world to my Sorcery Ascendant Sequence, and I hope it’s as enjoyable. I think you’ll love it, but I’m biased…

Revenant Winds is available at your favorite online retailer — both in ebook and paperback — though some are slower than others to list the book. AND it’s also available as an audiobook through Audible!

In a world devastated by a series of cataclysms, where the followers of different gods vie for ascendancy, mankind carves out a precarious existence among the remnants of a desolated past. Cities and civilizations are built atop mysterious and ofttimes menacing ruins, and the unforgiving wilderness outside is filled with inhuman creatures and races from before the dawn of history. Sorcery is seen by some as a gift of the gods, and by others as their curse. And the demon-ravaged past has all but been forgotten.

As a secret cabal schemes to awaken an evil thought defeated millennia ago, the lives of three unlikely heroes are fated to converge:

Aldric, a veteran priest and sorcerer, who seeks acceptance from the church that shuns him. On the brink of their approval, he receives a mission that brings him face to face with a long-buried evil.

Niklaus, master swordsman, and slave to his goddess, who plots to split the veil between life and death and ascend to become her equal.

Kurio, the runaway daughter of a noble family, now turned to thievery, who stumbles across a disturbing secret that binds her future to infernal designs.

Drawn toward a horrifying endgame by an unknown force, Aldric, Niklaus, and Kurio find themselves in a battle not only for their lives, but for the beliefs that have come to define them.

A wrong decision, an overreaching ambition, or the failure of an already tormented faith, is all it will take to plunge mankind into an eternal dark.